Mindfuck movies – 170+ titles and counting

Not all mindfuck movies are for everyone. Some people like lighthearted comedies; some find action movies boost their adrenaline. But, our site is dedicated to those who like their minds to get blown!

TDLR; Scroll down for the list!

These movies will make you think, whether by using creative plotlines, imaginative twists, or by focusing on a profound subject. There’s no special genre that defines whether a movie deserves to fall into this category. Mindfuck movies can be dramas, thrillers, horrors, or any other genre that makes the brain cells of the audience engaged.

However, you should be aware that mindfuck is always in the eye of the beholder, meaning that not all films are for everyone. Whether you’re going to get your mind blown or not depends not only on the movie but on your preferences as well. This is why we advise you to take a sneak peek at the movie reviews, just to see if they’re gonna do the work for you.

Let’s cut to the chase, if you are looking to get a mindfuck movie experience, you’re at the right place! This list consists of spoiler-free reviews of some of the best mindfuck movies in cinematic history.

The best thing is that the list will be updated on a monthly basis. This is something with which you can help as well! We’re always looking for readers’ recommendation, so do make sure to leave your comments below!

Plot Twist Movies – Movies with a Mindblowing Twist at the End.

The plot twist is the thing that makes a movie interesting. After all, it’s the thing around which the whole movie revolves. This is why it’s not easy a film that doesn’t feature an enchanting twist of the plot. However, some movies just go one step beyond – their plot twists are simply mind-blowing!

Here’s a list of movies with plot twists at the end, which are guaranteed to surprise you. Of course, feel free to read our descriptions, as they’re all spoiler-free. We’ve made sure not to ruin it for you, while still providing you with all the info you need in order to decide whether a movie deserves your attention.

The mindfuck movies with a twist at the end come from different genres – thrillers, mysteries, dramas, etc. Still, they all have one thing in common. All of these films are super-exciting to watch!

So, with no further ado, here’s our list of recommended plot twist movies!

Fight Club (1999)

“The first rule of fight club is: you do not about fight club! The second rule of Fight Club is: you DO NOT talk about Fight Club!” Okay, okay, we won’t, we’ll just say that this movie has a twist at the end that will definitely blow your mind!

Shutter Island (2010)

When Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up, true cinematic works of art get created! One of those is Shutter Island, a psychological thriller with a mind-blowing twist at the end.

Oldboy (2003)

Probably the best work of Korean cinema, Oldboy is a mystery-thriller masterpiece. Although the movie is exciting from the very first moment, its ending is what leaves a strong impression on the audience.

Author bias: One of the best mindfuck movies to date.

Gone Girl (2014)

Based on a best-selling book, Gone Girl is a psychological thriller that’s guaranteed to keep you glued to the screen for nearly two and a half hours! As the name suggests, the mobile plot is revolving around a disappearance of a woman, whose husband is the main murder suspect.

The Prestige (2006)

Set at the turn of the 20th century, the movie focuses on a feud between two famous magicians, which has horrible consequences. The movie is going to pull a trick on you with a mind-bending plot twist at the end!

Memento (2000)

Suffering from short-term memory loss, vigilante husband needs to tattoo all kinds of information on his body in order to catch his wife’s murderer. Can it get any better? Yes, it can! Wait for the end of the movie and you’ll see!

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Based on a Spanish blockbuster, Vanilla Sky is a sci-fi psychological thriller that features an ensemble cast. Apart from Tom Cruise in the leading role, the movie also features Penélope Cruz, Kurt Russell, and Cameron Diaz. Still, what really makes this film special is the mindfuck effect it leaves on the audience with its plot twist.

Total Recall (2012)

This is a remake of the movie of the same name for 1992, which differs in several ways from the original. For instance, Colin Farrell is the lead actor, not Arnold Schwarzenegger. One thing remains the same though – the plot twist is mind-blowing!

Other plot twist movies (Movies with a twist at the end):

Unknown (2011)

The Game (1997)

Primal Fear (1996)

The Book of Eli (2010)

Mindfuck movies list: Time Travel Movies

Time travel is a concept that has been explored by physicists, philosophers, and artists, for a long time. That’s why it’s not a surprise that many mindfuck movies deal with this subject. It all started with the novel by H. G. Wells, called The Time Machine, which was adapted into three movies, the first being a BBC drama 1949.

Similar plots, in which a time machine is used to travel either backwards or forwards in time, were used in many subsequent movies. Some of them include Back to the Future, The Philadelphia Experiment, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Peggy Sue Got Married, and others.

Although no one can say those movies aren’t worth watching, you can’t quite call them mind-blowing. If you want your mind to really get blown with best time-bending movies, you need to check out our list! All of these movies explore the same subject, but each of them has a unique plot that’s guaranteed to keep you glued to your seat.

So, here are our picks for the best time travel movies that are going to make you mindblown!

Primer (2004)

Primer is an independent sci-fi drama that deals with the subject of time travel. What makes this 2004 movie remarkable is that its total budget was only 7,000 dollars, which makes it one of the most successful films, profit-wise, in cinematic history.

Author bias: One of the best mindfuck movies to date.

Predestination (2014)

Predestination is one of the best mindfuck movies ever to be made in Australia. The movie combines several genres, while still focusing on the subject of traveling through time.

Source Code (2011)

Here’s another exciting movie that explores the same subject. What makes it deserve your attention is its fast-paced plot that’s guaranteed to make the adrenaline pump through your veins!

Other time travel movies worth watching:

Looper (2012)

Live, Die, Repeat: The Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Time lapse (2015)

Groundhog Day (1993)

Timecrimes (2007)

The Fountain (2006)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Mindfuck movies list: Movies That Make You Think

Sometimes, people just need to give their brains a rest. That’s when they choose to watch lighthearted comedies and action movies in which the good guys always win. But, the feel-good movies aren’t enough to satisfy everyone’s intellectual appetites. If you want to engage your brain cells you need to watch those movies that will make you think!

Unfortunately, not all movies that seem to feature an intelligent plot are actually worth watching. Some of them are just quasi-intellectual nonsense with a boring plot that’s going to make you fall asleep. This is why you ought to give a chance only to those movies that can really make your mind work hard.

This is where we come in with our suggestions! We have created a list of the best mindfuck movies that will make you think. Each of these movies deals with a profound subject that relates to a different philosophical or scientific concept. Apart from being able to make you search for answers to profound questions of human existence, these movies are also super-interesting to watch.

So, without any further delay, here they are!

Inception (2010)

One of the movies that are guaranteed to make you think is Inception. The plot of this sci-fi thriller revolves around a thief played by Leo DiCaprio, who has the power to enter people’s dreams.

Author bias: One of the best mindfuck movies to date.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Craig Schwartz, portrayed by John Cusack, inadvertently discovers a plot that leads inside the mind of the famous actor John Malkovich. If you’re still not convinced that you should give it a go, you should know that this movie was nominated for all kinds of awards, including an Oscar.

Cloud Atlas (2012)

Based on the book of the same name, the movie will make you think of things such as philosophy, space travel, human relations, and so on.

Inland Empire (2006)

The movie is a brainchild of the legendary director David Lynch, the man behind such projects as Twin Peaks, The Elephant Man, Mulholland Drive, etc. Same as any other Lynch work, this movie too encourages the audience to think.

Anomalisa (2015)

The Oscar-nominated stop-motion animated drama is one of those movies that make you think about the meaning of life, giving a hope that the human existence isn’t pointless.

Mr. Nobody (2009)

Starring Jared Leto, Mr. Nobody is a movie that deals with the subject of immortality. It raises some important philosophical questions, such as whether mortality is the thing that defines us as humans.

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

This 2006 movie stars Will Ferrell, a famous American comedian. Still, this doesn’t mean that Stranger Than Fiction is a brash comedy. On the contrary, the movie deals with some serious existential issues.

Incendies (2011)

The Canadian movie revolves around two twins who go on a journey to the Middle East in order to learn more about their mother’s past. What happens there is going to get your mind blown!

Adaptation (2002)

Nominated for a number of awards, including several Oscars, the movie Adaptation features an ensemble cast (Nicolas Cage, Maryl Streep, Brian Cox, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton, and others), as well as a truly mind-blowing plot.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

The movie deals with the subjects such as human existence, love, and happiness. As described by a critic, Requiem for a Dream is a parable of lost and found happiness.

Synecdoche, New York (2008)

This independent movie was directed by Charlie Kaufman, the man behind other cinematic masterpieces such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich, and Anomalisa. What makes this movie stand out is the fact that it tries to give answers to some profound questions related to the human existence.

List of additional thought provoking movies you need to watch:

The Man From Earth (2004)

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Basic (2003)

Fracture (2007)

Cube (1997)

The Double (2013)

Memories of Murder (2003)

Lost Highway (1997)

The Matrix (1999)

Upstream Colours (2013)

Waking life (2001)

Exam (2009)

The Science Of Sleep (2006)

The Man from Earth (2007

Enter the Void (2009)

Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind (2004)

The Truman Show (1998)

Melancholia (2011)

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Ex Machina (2014)

Triangle (2009)

Amélie (2001)

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Trance (2013)

Mindfuck movies: Movies That Mess With Your Mind

Some movies that make you think can make you question your perception of reality. What’s true about the world we know is the main issue these films deal with. They also raise many other important questions, which, in turn, are guaranteed to make you think about them long after the movie has ended.

There’s no way of pointing a special genre that these kinds of films belong to. In fact, the movies that mess with your mind can be dramas, sci-fi adventures, thrillers, horrors, and even comedies. The movie genre isn’t that important; what really matters is the mindfuck effect they have on the viewers!

So, if you’re looking to get your mind blown, we have prepared a list of mindfuck movies that can screw with your head. But, be aware, these movies are not for everyone. You might not feel comfortable watching some of them as they are meant to provoke strong emotions in the audience. Still, we believe it’s worth it. These movies are simply too good for you to miss them!

Mulholland Drive (2001)

Directed by the legendary David Lynch, Mulholland Drive is one of those movies that mess with your mind. Without any intention of spoiling it for you, we’re just gonna say that its plot revolves around an amnesiac woman trying to figure out who she was.

Get Out (2017)

What constitutes a good thriller? A fast-paced plot, a mind-blowing twist, characters you can cheer for? Get Out has all of that, making this movie definitely worthy of your attention!

Author bias: This is one of my favourite mindfuck movies personally. It is something more refreshing to watch if you’re new to this genre.

Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

If you’re a fan of psychology thrillers, watching Jacob’s Ladder needs to be on your to-do list. The 1990 movie features Tim Robbins in the lead role, playing a war veteran trying to coping with the death of his son.

Mysterious Skin (2004)

Mysterious Skin is a psychological drama that tells a story of two teenagers who were sexually abused by their baseball coach. That leaves a massive trauma on both of them, causing each boy to take a rather controversial live path.

Inland Empire (2006)

It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that David Lynch is a true master of psychological thrillers. His move from 2006, called Inland Empire, is full of plot twists that are there to mess up the minds of the audience.

The Others (2001)

Directed by one of the most prominent Spanish directors, Alejandro Amenábar, The Others is a gothic horror with a mind-bending story and a twist that’s gonna cause a real mindfuck in you!

Unthinkable (2010)

The movie raises the question of how far people are ready to go if something huge is at stake. In Unthinkable, the lead characters are left with no other option but to torture a terrorist in order to find the exact locations of nuclear bombs threatening to destroy three American cities.

Author bias: One of the more disturbing mindfuck movies on this list, watch at your own discretion.

Irreversible (2002)

The French thriller reveals its plot in reverse-chronological order, following the events taking place after the character played by Monica Bellucci gets raped.

The Untold Story (1993)

The Untold Story is a thriller that follows a murder investigation conducted by Hong Kong police. What makes this list deserve a place on the list is that it involves the rather controversial subject of cannibalism.

A Perfect Getaway (2009)

Here’s another thriller that will keep your eyes on the screen with its exciting story. Speaking of the plot, it is set in Hawaii, where a young couple’s hiking adventure takes a scary turn.

Creep (2014)

This movie is presented to the audience as found footage, showing what happened to a videographer who answered a cryptic Craigslist advertisement posted by a strange and dangerous advertiser.

Further reading:

Naked Lunch (1991)

Under the Skin (2013)

Videodrome (1983)

The Man From Nowhere (2010)

I Saw The Devil (2010)

Dogtooth (2009)

The Lobster (2015)

Stay (2005)

120 Days of Sodom

The Hunt (2012)

The Skin I Live In (2011)

Kids (1995)

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Arlington Road (1999)

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Mindfuck movies list:Psychological Thrillers

By definition, a psychological thriller is a movie with a thriller plot, which focuses on psychological and emotional state of the characters. Some of the main characteristics of this type of movies include the fast-paced story that’s full of twists, as well as a number of memorable characters, each with a unique personality. If you’re not into the other mindfuck movies in this list, psychologically thrillers will definitely be for you.

Although psychological thrillers are a genre of their own, these movies often borrow elements from other types of movies. For instance, some use sci-fi or horror elements to add to the charm of the story. Others are focused on real-life historical events and characters whose lives were worthy of a movie.

All of this makes psychological thrillers a favorite genre for many people. The result is that a huge number of them gets made every year. Unfortunately, this means that finding psychological thrillers that are really worthy of your attention is not that easy task. Luckily for you, we’re here to help!

We have picked out several psychological thrillers that every filmophile must watch. So, with no further delay, here are those films!

The Machinist (2004)

For the role in The Machinist, Christian Bale lost more than 60 pounds of body weight. The actor’s sacrifice wasn’t pointless – this movie became one of the best-rated psychology thrillers of all times!

The Gift (2014)

When a body of a woman is discovered on a boat full of drugs, the crew of the lifeboat need to decide what to do with it – hand everything to the cops or sell the drugs?

Black Swan (2010)

The Chaser (2008)

Inspired by real-life events, The Chaser tells the story of a Korean serial killer. The lead character is an ex-police detective, now hustling as a pimp, who goes on a rampage after two of his girls go missing.

Hard Candy (2005)

Hard candy is an exciting thriller about a teenage girl who traps a 32-year-old man, whom she suspects to be a sexual predator. The reason why we think this movie is going to mess with your mind is the torture methods used by the girl in order to get a confession of out her prisoner.

Vertigo (1958)

Alfred Hitchcock is considered to be the king of horror and psychological thrillers. One of his most acclaimed works is Vertigo from 1958. This is a classic movie that every filmophile needs to watch.

Enemy (2013)

Based on a novel by Portuguese Nobel Prize winner Jose Saramago, the movie centers on a college professor who stumbles upon his doppelganger and gets interested in his private life.

Identity (2003)

Identity is an American psychological thriller that’s loosely based on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. But, it’s not just the plot that produces the mindfuck effect; it’s also the way the story is told – the movie uses a reverse chronology structure.

Pi (1998)

The debut film of Darren Aronofsky is one of the most profitable movies ever made. Its production budget was $68,000, but the movie managed to make more than 3 million in box office! Pi still has a massive cult following, thanks to the fact that it explores all kinds of subjects, from human psychology to the mathematical number theory.

eXistenZ (1999)

Jennifer Jason Leigh plays the role of a video game developer, who goes on a run after an unsuccessful attempt on her life. This results in an adventure crossing the thin line between reality and fantasy.

The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

The Thirteenth Floor is a scientific fiction movie that centers on a murder investigation, in which the prime suspect is Hannon Fuller, the inventor of a virtual reality simulation game set in 1937 Los Angeles.

Mindfuck Movies List: Horror

Traditionally, horrors are meant to scare you. However, the ones we’re going to present you are those that not only make your heart beat faster but also make your mind get blown. Unlike traditional slashers, mindfuck horrors are meant to shock you not with graphics but with the storyline.

These types of movies use mystery elements to create an unsettling and unpleasant atmosphere. The characters in these types of horrors are usually struggling with mental and emotional issues, such as paranoia, self-doubt, and distrust. The result is that they’re going to make you scared and this feeling is going to remain even after the movie ends.

Of course, it’s needless to say that these sorts of movies are not for every audience. If you feel uncomfortable watching horrors, its best to stay away! However, if this movie genre is your favorite, you must watch at least some of the following movies!

The Invitation (2016)

The Invitation is an American horror movie with elements of thriller, which is guaranteed to make the blood pump through your veins. Why? Because it tells a spooky story of a couple with a tragic past and sinister plans for the future!

Spider Forest (2004)

Although there are no supernatural elements in this movie, Spider Forest definitely can make you scary. The movie is considered to be one of the finest examples of mind-blowing South Korean psychological thrillers.

Cabin in the Woods (2012)

There’s no doubt that Cabin in the Woods is one of the best mindfuck movies, especially for the horror fans. As the name suggests, the plot takes place in a cabin in the woods, where five college friends are attacked by zombies.

High Tension (2003)

If you’re a fan of slasher horror genre, you are going to love High Tensions. This French movie from 2003 is full of excitements, with graphic scenes of violence happening all the time.

The Mist (2007)

Based on the horror book of the same name by Stephen King, the movie tells a story of a storm that brings all kinds of bloodthirsty creatures in a quiet town in Maine.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

We could’ve included this masterpiece in literally any other category, as The Sixth Sense is definitely one of thought provoking movies, with a mind-blowing twist at the end. It’s needless to say that you ought to watch it if you consider yourself to be a fan of the genre!